Effect of Tube Voltage on Contrast Enhancement and Contrast Medium Dose in Abdominal Contrast-enhanced Computed Tomography

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of tube voltage on relationship between a patient's body weight and contrast enhancement in abdominal contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT). Five phantoms with diameters ranging from 19.2 to 30.6 cm, including syringes filled with iodine solution diluted to different concentrations, were used to compare the effects at tube voltages of 80, 100, and 120 kVp. Furthermore, for clinical study, 300 patients who underwent abdominal contrast-enhanced CT examinations were enrolled and enhancements of aorta and hepatic parenchyma in arterial phase and equilibrium phase were compared at 80, 100, and 120 kVp using a contrast medium administration proportional to the body weight. The contrast enhancement was decreased with increase in phantom size because of the beam-hardening effect, and however, the decrease was less at low tube voltages of 80 and 100 kVp (lowest at 80 kVp), demonstrating the beam-hardening effect was reduced at low tube voltages. The enhancements of aorta and hepatic parenchyma indicated tended to increase in patients with a heavy body weight, and this trend was stronger at 80 and 100 kVp (80 kVp>100 kVp). Therefore, it was indicated that the problem of excessive contrast enhancement in patients with a high body weight was prominent at low tube voltages because the beam-hardening effect in patients with a heavy body weight was weaken by low tube voltages.